Reports suggest that Manchester United manager Ruben Amorim is looking to part ways with 10 first-team players to build a substantial transfer budget for the summer.
It’s been a topic of discussion for a while that the Red Devils will need to trim their wage bill and cash in on sales to make significant moves in the transfer window, as the club continues to tighten its belt financially.
Heading into next season, Amorim will likely have recruitment at the top of his agenda, aiming to bring in players who can seamlessly slot into his favored 3-4-3 setup.
The identities of the players he’s prepared to offload to make this vision a reality have now come to light.
A Daily Mail report indicates that England stars Marcus Rashford, Luke Shaw, and Jadon Sancho are among those Amorim is ready to let go, clearing the way for his own signings at Manchester United.
The two forwards are currently on loan—Rashford has been finding his footing again at Aston Villa, while Sancho continues to struggle at Chelsea.
On the other hand, Shaw has only featured in three matches across all competitions this season, and it’s said his manager is fine with the 29-year-old moving on if he can’t demonstrate his fitness.
Also on the potential exit list are Antony, currently loaned out to Real Betis in La Liga, Casemiro—the club’s top earner—and Tyrell Malacia, who PSV holds an option to purchase.
The report further suggests that veteran players Jonny Evans and Tom Heaton are likely to retire when the season wraps up.
Meanwhile, the Scandinavian pair of Victor Lindelof and Christian Eriksen are set to depart as free agents at season’s end, with no new contracts in the works—Lindelof has even dropped hints about this in recent interviews.
Manchester United are banking on the recent performances of Rashford and Antony during their loan stints to boost their leverage for hefty transfer fees come summer, as both players have seemed revitalized away from Old Trafford.
Rashford’s uptick in form at Aston Villa earned him a spot back in the England lineup, though his showing against Albania in Thomas Tuchel’s debut as manager didn’t quite live up to the hype.
Antony, meanwhile, has been tearing it up in Spain, racking up eight goal contributions in 11 games for Real Betis, making him one of La Liga’s standout performers at just 25 years old.
The same can’t be said for Sancho, though, whose struggles have persisted at Chelsea, showing little improvement from his rocky time at United.
Chelsea are locked into a £25 million clause to buy the ex-Dortmund winger permanently next season, but there’s talk they might opt for the £5 million escape hatch instead, a move reportedly under consideration.
